6:00 AM
Reveille
Dress and prepare for the work day.
Each Day Begins at Lights Out
Lights out! Everyone to bed...
Say, did you know that the bugle call of "Taps" began during the American Civil War and was used as the signal to "extinguish lights?" Well, since the Army runs the CCC camp, that's our notice that the day is over, too. Trust me, you'll need all the rest you can get... the work is hard here and the days can get mighty long! Anyway, welcome to camp and (yawn) good night...
As you fall asleep you think of the family back home. You hope and pray that everyone is alright. But even though you're nervous and, you hate to admit it, a little scared, you finally have some hope–hope for you, for your family, and for your country.
Good Morning Camp
The following is a typical daily timeline of a worker in the Shenandoah CCC Camps.
6:30 AM
Calisthenics and a hearty breakfast
Followed by barracks cleaning and policing the grounds.
8:00 AM
Daily Tasks
- Changing the slope along the Skyline Drive; making more gentle gradient
- Constructing overlooks outward from the drive and framing "vistas"
- Building guard walls and rails along the drive using native stone
- Building chestnut picnic tables and benches for overlooks
- Planting and/or growing new trees and shrubs in the two CCC camp nurseries in SNP
- Removing old roads and constructing new ones
- Building visitor centers, picnic grounds, comfort centers, and campgrounds
12:00 PM
Lunch Break
Sometimes a hot meal, but usually sandwiches, pie, and coffee.
4:00 PM
Back to camp
Maximum work was 8 hours/day and 40 hours/week; New Deal legislation had created these changes for the general working public, too.
Recreation
Activities include reading (each Camp has a library); sports such as baseball, football, basketball, boxing, volleyball, table tennis, horseshoes, swimming, and fishing; musical shows, dances with local young ladies; publishing local camp newsletters and/or newspapers.
5:30 PM
Evening meal
The initial ration cost per enrollee per day was only $0.38! The food was plain, but plentiful.
Education
Training and education are emphasized. Each camp has an educational program with academic classes in basic reading, writing, math, civics, and geography. Training is given to improve the quality of work that would help in finding a job when the enrollee was discharged.
9:45 PM
Lights Flash
Prepare for bed.
10:00 PM
Lights Out
10:15 PM
Taps
11:00 PM
Bed Check
An Enduring Legacy of Work
The 6,500 "boys" of the CCC in Shenandoah National Park not only changed the landscape of the Blue Ridge, they changed lives. For 6 months at a time, they did hard labor–8 hours a day, 5 days a week; but there was also time for recreation and rejuvenation. They earned money to support their families and had the opportunity to get an education that would help them when they returned home.
Never before had the resources of our country come together so quickly to help so many areas of American society recover from the devastating consequences of the Great Depression. Through these "boys," skills were learned, life-long friendships formed, and parks created. They worked hard, played hard, and helped a country heal.